


It Never Changes

by Missy



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-30
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-09 19:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/90714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate universe, Barney's a kindergarten teacher, Robin's a rising lawyer, Marshall's a newscaster, Lily's an architect and Ted's a wealthy businessman...and they're all still the best of friends...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Created as a comment fic for bishojo_kitsune. Prompt: Job!swap AU, Barney's the kindergarden teacher, Lily's the architect, Robin's the out-of-school lawyer, Ted's the rich businessman, and Marshall's the reporter.

Barney has six construction paper dinosaurs taped to a blue pasteboard when Robin sees him coming out of the subway.

He's a little less than friendly as they struggle their way up onto the curb and back into the bar. Robin's been interviewing for an entry-level position with PETA and is wearing a spatter of red paint "blood" from her head to her shoulder.

"I got caught in the crossfire between some protesters and a furrier."

Barney just shakes his head. Robin always was a do-gooder.

Marshall's on the screen over the bar, covering the Met's opening day (a kid hits him across the brow with a foam-rubber bat and Robin and Barney toast his forthrightness).

"Did you know when Ted's getting off?" Robin's rubbing the 'blood' out of her hair with a napkin.

"Whenever he gets his hot secretary's number. High five!"

Robin leaves Barney hanging, one brow quirked. "Did you see the new building Lily's putting up on 54th?"

"Yeah – I thought it was a little modern for her taste. You know how old-fashioned she is."

Robin smiles. "Not as old-fashioned as you."

Barney rolls his eyes and sips his fifty-year-old scotch. The booze was a classic, it would never go out of style. Just like their friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a request for another chapter for this one, and so here it is :)

Lily had worked her ass off on this building. She took a step back to admire the wall of crystalline material which lined the top floor of the penthouse.

"Here you go, Lilypad," Marshall handed her a flute glass of champagne. She pecked him on the cheek and took a drink.

"Honey, are you supposed to be covering this?"

He gave her a goofy shrug. "I got Don to cover for me."

Lily groaned. "Now we owe Creepy Don a favor?"

"We just need to go to his house and have a potluck dinner with his grandmother. And her eighty cats."

"Marshall, I'm allergic!"

"Allergic to what, fun?" That was Barney, coming up from behind with a digital camera. "Wave, Lily, I'm gonna show this to my kids on Monday."

Lily gave an awkward wave for the camera, hiding the champagne behind her.

"What do you do, Ms. Aldrin?"

"I'm an architect," she explained. "Everything in this building, I put there."

"So you're like a moving woman?"

Lily glared at him. "Have you seen Robin?"

"She's still stuck at the office. That, kids, is the best thing about being a teacher – a sweet salary and we get the summer off. Teeny high-fives!"

Lily rolled her eyes. She saw Ted enter, his suit impeccably pressed but his eyes anxious, likely scanning the room for date number four thousand. Maybe he'd find the right woman eventually; she hoped so, the words 'real love' kept passing his lips with alarming frequency.


End file.
